Joseph brakeley



J. BRAKELEY.

Lumber Drier.

Patented May 12, 1868.

I I I I I I I I I l I I I I l I I I I I l I I l I I I I l I I I I i I QIII N. PETERS. Pholo-Lnhagnpher. Washington. D, C.

JOSEPH BRAKELEKOF BORDENTOWN, NEWJERSEY.

Letters Patent No. 77 ,712, dated May 12, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN DRIERS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BRAKELEY, of Bordentowu, in the county of Burlington, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a new and improved Mode of Drying Lumber, and I do hereby declare that the follow ing is a full and exact 'description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the'letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in applying to a kiln for drying lumber a condensing-apparatus, in combination with an exhaust-pump for creating and maintaining a vacuum therein.v By this means 'I am enabled to dry all kinds of lumber at amu'clr lower temperature than has been heretoforeemployed in kilns for that v purpose, thereby avoiding the damage done to the fibre-of the wood when greatheat is used, and greatly shortening the time employed inthe process. It is intended for wood that has been wholly or partly wrought, as

well as for unwrought lumber.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construetjon 'andoperationf. I

I construct one or'morechambers, (in this case, tw o,-) marked 0, made air-tight as nearly as possible, and a furnace, marked -F and a flue, marked L, surrounded by a steam or water-jacket, marked J, which is provided with an opening, 0, on top. Iattach to these chambers, by means .of pipes, marked l, and cooks, marked 2; an apparatus for creating and maintaining a vacuum therein, which may be made in various ways. In this case, I use a'spray-condenser, marked E, and a pump, V, the latter being connected with the condenser by means of .a. pipe, marked 3. H i g V 7 It is operated asfollows: First, the steam or water-jacket isnearly filled with water, through the opening, 0. Fire is made and kept up inthe furnace. The materials to bc'dried are then run into the chambers on trucks, and the chamber-doors closed and-fastened, air-.cocks, marked being closed, andcock's, marked 2, opened.- The pump .is next started, and run by any convenient power, forthe purpose of removing the atmos-- phere from thechambers Cock, marked 5, is then opened, and water supplied through; from any convenient source to. the condeuserlE. By means of the condenser, the vapor arising from thcheated wood is-condensed,

and together with the condensing-water, and anyatmosphere that may be present, is thrown out by the pump at X, and a vacuum thereby maintained. When the operation is completed, which may be known by the cooling of the pipes marked 1, the cooks marked-2 are closed, and the air-cocks, marked 4, are opened. The

chamber-doors are 'then' opened, and the contents removed.

This invention is distinguished from all other known mode'sof drying lumber in this, that in additiqnto the exhaust-pump; in common u se,' I use a condenser, which, by converting the vapor expelled fromthe wood into water, by diminishing its bulk, relieves the pump from'much of its duty, at the same time, by its conden sation, contributing to the production of a vacuum. The use of a condenser in thisrelation I believe to be new.

What I claim as my invention, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is- I I Combining, with a dry=kiln, both a condenser and an exhaust-pump, substantially as and for the purpose set forth I JOSEPH BRAKELEY.

Witnesses:

O. E. P. HAZARD, W. A. Boss. 

